Blue Thistle peered through the cockpit window of the military helicopter with Shadow Dancer beside her; they both simply stared on in awe at the grandeur of Manehattan. There were buildings as tall as Cadence's castle in the Crystal Empire —skyscrapers that nearly touched the clouds— and each one was made of spotless glass, shining in the evening sun. Below the skyline were ocean side resorts, financial buildings, stock exchanges, everything that made Manehattan the center of business in the world. And to the left of all of this grand scale architecture were droves of primarily concrete, three story apartments as far as the eye could see; this was where the common folk just trying to make a living dwelled. They seemed like two separate worlds so close together, yet so far from each other; the common ponies fed the financial district, then the financial district spat on them. That had been a way of life in Manehattan since its founding.

"I've heard stories of Manehattan before, how it is cradle of all business and prosperity in Equestria. Are these tales true?" Blue Thistle asked Shadow Dancer.

"Somewhat. Maybe not prosperity, but it certainly is a haven for business, that much I can assure you. What business? Well, any kind you want; banking, drugs, alcohol..." Shadow Dancer's expression shifted as she gave a long sigh, showing tinges of disgust and regret. "Everything I learned to hate."

Blue Thistle joined Shadow Dancer on her mission after Cadence had pushed her to do so. She wasn't opposed to the idea, Manehattan was a dangerous place, but she felt a little in the way, lost in the towering jungle of glass. It was clear the sight of Manehattan was stirring up some black memories in Shadow Dancer, and Blue Thistle quickly changed the subject.

"What is plan?" Blue Thistle asked. Shadow Dancer as they both sat back down in the loading bay of the aircraft.

"Well, first we'll have to hit up local police— see what they know about The Raven. Perhaps they can point us in the right direction. This guy is working his way up the ladder, beating up and apprehending more dangerous criminals every day. Everypony wants a piece of The Raven." Shadow Dancer explained to Blue Thistle. "Once we find out everything the police know, we hit the streets, get answers in a rougher manner."

"Rougher? How so?" Blue Thistle raised an eyebrow.

"You don't think I agreed to bring you with me because you're just a pretty face, right? You got the stature for a shake-down, Blue. You could probably make any stallion shit himself if you stood in front of em'. " Shadow Dancer laughed lightly at the thought.

"I am scary?" Blue Thistle stared down at her hooves, inspecting herself.

"No, no, no! You are scary to me! Don't worry. You-, err... I think you look fine." Shadow Dancer blushed as she corrected herself; she didn't want Blue Thistle to feel like the elephant in the room.

"Oh... thank you," Blue Thistle nodded slowly, somewhat affected by Shadow Dancer's nervousness. "You look fine too."

There was a brief awkward silence as they both stared at each other, posturing what the other was thinking about; both of their heads were on fire. They both sighed, breaking the silence, and the helicopter landed on the titanic aircraft carrier that sat just on the southern edge of the city. They stepped out onto the flat deck of the massive ship, watching as jets would come and go, and as the helicopter took off once again to head back home, a familiar voice called out to them from the other side of the carrier deck. Shadow Dancer's eyes narrowed for a moment as her vision adjusted to the intense sunlight reflecting off the water, however, her eyes soon widened as she realized just who she was looking at.

"Hey, fellas! Over here!" Rainbow Dash waved to both of them as she ran across the deck, her long multi-coloured hair and bomber jacket blown about by the jet that had just taken off moments before.

"Holy shit! Air Marshal Rainbow Dash..." Shadow Dancer's jaw hung open as Rainbow Dash shook her hand without a word. "It's-, it's an honor, ma'am."

"Ah, don't call me ma'am, call me Dash," Rainbow Dash insisted as she turned to Blue Thistle, stunned by her height; she had heard about the giant in The Equestrian Knights, but she didn't expect her to be two heads taller than her. "Damn, you looked shorter from over there. You must be Blue Thistle. It's great to finally meet you." Rainbow Dash looked over to Shadow Dancer. "I've heard some crazy stories from a Rukarian pal of mine that you wouldn't believe!"

"Is that so?" Shadow Dancer smirked as she glanced over at Blue Thistle.

"Yes, yes..." Blue Thistle went quiet.

"Alright, enough dawdling here, I'll take you-..." Rainbow Dash stopped as she saw Blue Thistle look past her, narrowing her gaze towards the naval base on the other side of the aircraft carrier. "Down there..." Rainbow Dash trailed off as Blue Thistle stepped past her, gesturing over to Shadow Dancer to come closer. "Hey... what are you guys doing?"

"I do not take stairs, Air Marshal,he," Blue Thistle grabbed Shadow Dancer and leapt high into the air, high enough to take them all the way to the other side of the carrier and right smack dab in the middle of the stretch of road between the carrier and the naval base, creating cracks in the pavement where she landed.

"Blue, what the hell?! I wanted to talk more with her! You could've taken the stairs like a normal pony!" Shadow Dancer screamed at Blue Thistle as she put her down. "I think you rocked the aircraft carrier with that jump of yours!"

"Are you fucking-?! C'mon! There's a huge dent in the deck now!" Rainbow Dash bellowed down at the two mares from the edge of the deck. "Who's paying for this?!"

"Put it on Shining Armor's tab!" Blue Thistle shouted back to Rainbow Dash.

"You're gonna give him a heart attack with this one. You know that, right?" Shadow Dancer sighed as she dusted her blue jeans and red tank top off, reaching into her pocket and putting on her round sunglasses. She then fastened her brown leather jacket, checking the time on her watch. "Six-thirty... I think the Manehattan Police Headquarters are about a two-hour walk from here."

"No problem." Blue Thistle shook off her black sweater and gray sweatpants before grabbing Shadow Dancer once again. "Hold-."

Ah, ah, ah!" Shadow Dancer interrupted her and broke free of her grasp before she could jump once again. "We walk like normal ponies! I don't want Shining Armor to pay any more bills!"

"Fine," Blue Thistle stuck out her lower lip as she crossed her arms. "It would have saved time."

****

At ground level, Manehattan was pandemonium. Ponies were constantly shouting at each other about irrelevant topics, arguing about politics or work. It wasn't the most organized in terms of conversation and debate, however, each pony knew where to walk in the street, how fast to walk, and each pony knew every crack and bump in the sidewalk like it was their own backyard. Cars were perpetually in a traffic jam; which begged the question, why were their cars in such a crowded metropolis? The line of ponies along the sidewalk bent their path as Blue Thistle came by, glancing at her for a moment as they all passed her. She bowed her head, trying to appear shorter. Unfortunately, doing this made her seem like some sort of lumbering monster.

Shadow Dancer placed a hand on her shoulder, noticing the long glares ponies would take at Blue Thistle. "Hey, Blue, you okay?"

"I am fine," Blue Thistle nodded hesitantly as she glanced back at Shadow Dancer. "Let's keep going. Headquarters is not far."

The two found themselves at an intersection; police headquarters was on the right side of the street, they were on the left. Using the blinker on the base of a traffic light, they waited for traffic to come to a halt. As it did, they strolled across the crosswalk, minding a mother with her baby carriage as they power walked by. Blue Thistle looked behind her, giving the infant inside a wave and a smile, to which the baby responded with a giggle and a wide, toothless grin. They passed through the next crosswalk after another brief waiting period, and they arrived at the police station right on time; it took no more than two hours.

Police headquarters had a very simplistic, stone exterior; white marble columns supported the structure, and between these columns were tinted windows, some with blinds over them. The entrance was primarily made of glass, and there were extensive security measures put inside the entryway for ponies looking to gain access. A guard came by, using a wand to check for any large metal objects on a pony. Shadow Dancer was check first, and she was clean. But when Blue Thistle was checked, she nearly broke the meter on the wand.

"Ma'am put your hands in the-." The guard was about to draw his gun, but Shadow Dancer handed him a slip of paper signed by Blueblood himself. He read it with frantic eyes, and his expression calmed as he finished the letter. "Oh... damn, sorry, you two. The whole station's been a little antsy since the Canterlot attack. Follow me, I'll take you to see Commissioner August. The Commissioner's been waiting for you both." The guard escorted them through the ground floor, dodging grunts going about their paperwork and reports as they made their way to the elevator, which was guarded by two other guards. The entrance guard presented his ID to the others. "These two are with me."

The two guards nodded, and the three stepped into the empty elevator, to which their guard pressed the top button on the long row of eight. With a mechanical grunt, the elevator sped rapidly to the top floor, stopping with yet another huff as it came to its destination. The guard stepped out into a hallway, motioning to his left as he turned around, directing them to the right.

"Door at the end of the hallway. Make sure to knock." The guard informed them as they stepped off the elevator, and he entered once more as they exited, the door closing behind him.

"Pretty nice," Shadow Dancer remarked at the modern feel of the floor as they marched down the corridor; the hallway was decorated with abstract paintings and tall, cubical vases filled with various perennial plants. "Didn't think the force would have the patience for art."

"Hmm," Blue Thistle grunted as she took a moment to inspect a cubist painting of some kind of flower, but scoffed as she continued onwards; she was one of the ponies that didn't have the patience for art. "Bah..."

At the end of the hall, Shadow Dancer and Blue Thistle were met with a windowed door that read, 'COMM'R. JUNIPER AUGUST' on the glass. Shadow Dancer knocked three times, and she didn't wait long for a response. "Come on in." It was a mare's voice, indifferent and not very low pitched, and it had a subtle tinge of grit in it as well.

They stepped inside, greeted to a mare no older than thirty seated behind her desk in a leather chair. She was dressed somewhat casually, sporting a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a black tie. As she got out of her chair, Shadow Dancer saw her blue dress pants, ones that matched her officer's coat that was slung around the back of her chair. Her chartreuse fur went well with her long auburn mane, which was done up in a neat ponytail. Her blue eyes were tired, worn like her thick glasses, and her expression was somewhat concerned as if she was always in a state of alarm. It made sense; terrorism was on the rise in Equestria and ponies were getting paranoid. She just seemed exasperated, worn out from all the stress and tension in her city.

"Nice to meet you two, I'm Commissioner August. I heard what you two did in Canterlot— just wanna say how appreciative I am of your actions. You saved the lives of our boys in blue, and I'm grateful." Commissioner August thanked them as she sat back down in her chair, gesturing to the two seats in from of her. "Now... down to the brass tacks. Blueblood called me personally— said you're lookin' for The Raven. That correct?"

"It is, ma'am," Shadow Dancer nodded to her as she sat down with Blue Thistle. "We wanted to get some Intel on this guy— see what the police know so far."

"Well, this guy's a ghost, I can tell ya that much. It's hard to get a clear description of em'. My boys on the street tell some pretty tall tales of The Raven. He saved two of mine who were trying to nab a perp in the Lower East Side just a few weeks ago. When they cornered the robber in an alley, he pulled out a gun. Before he pulled the trigger, however, The Raven stepped out of the shadows— disarmed em' and broke the guy's jaw." Commissioner August recalled the story as she sat back in her chair. "That's the most recent encounter my boys have had with The Raven. Other than that, there hasn't been much interaction. We usually get an anonymous call for somepony once in a while— tells us to check out a random joint for some beat-up dirtbags. We'll find an upwards of ten or more tied-up criminals at a time. It's nuts what this guy can do."

"So this pony is no amateur... he's trained," Shadow Dancer scratched her chin as she thought it over. "Getting to him will not be easy."

"So you wanna bring her in, huh?" Commissioner August asked.

"Yeah, we do. She's caused a big stir in the criminal underworld lately, and innocent ponies are getting caught right in the middle of it." Shadow Dancer stated as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands together.

"I feel ya. As much as I appreciate the help from The Raven, she's brewed a world of trouble for Manehattan; ponies are talkin' nowadays. She's become a legend." Commissioner August nodded slowly as she stood back up, pointing towards the map hanging up on her wall; it was a map of Manehattan. "I've got my boys on patrol keepin' an eye out for em'. Her stomping grounds are the Upper West Side, but I've heard reports of her in Kings as well, even Hooflyn. This guy's all over the place. If you wanna find The Raven, get to the Upper West Side. There's crime there all the time."

"Thank you, Commissioner,run," Shadow Dancer said as she got back on her hooves and shook Commissioner August's hand one last time. "We'll be hitting the streets tonight to see what we find."

"Sounds good," Commissioner August nodded as she watched the sun set from her window. "Be careful, you two. Manehattan isn't as friendly at night. You best be keepin' one eye open all the time when you're out there. The Raven certainly does."

"Dually noted, Commissioner. Thank you for your time." Shadow Dancer thanked her one last time as she opened the door, Blue Thistle following right behind.

"Yeah," Commissioner August grunted as she glanced over at the map again, narrowing her vision on the Upper West Side. "Yeah..."

Shadow Dancer power walked down the hallway, drive in her pace and demeanor. Blue Thistle spoke up, curious as to why Shadow Dancer was so on edge. "What's wrong? Did it go well or not?"

"Yes and no..." Shadow Dancer stopped in the hall, lowering her voice so that none but Blue Thistle could hear her. "Did you notice the way the Commissioner would jump from 'he' to 'she' or 'her' to 'him' in her sentences when referring to The Raven?"

"Yes... I did..." Blue Thistle nodded, realizing what Shadow Dancer was implying. "Are you suggesting-?"

"That The Raven is a mare? I think so," Shadow Dancer replied as she continued down the hall. "That may not help our case, but it proves to me that the Commissioner isn't telling us all she knows..."

****

Sometime later, Commissioner August stood on the roof of police headquarters, taking in the early autumn air. With a sigh, she reached into her dress pocket and lit a cigarette, puffing clouds of smoke into the brisk air. The lights of Manehattan drew inwards, illuminating the financial district and darkening the residential district. Hot air rose from the manholes on the streets, making small clouds as it nipped at the chilly winds of the night. As she took in another whiff of smoke, she turned, hearing a rustling from behind. She looked up slowly, making out the silhouette of Manehattan's dark knight crouching on top of an air conditioning unit a few meters away. Her white eyes and the black beak of her mask was the only definitive shapes that stuck out in the shadows.

"You came..." Commissioner August exhaled another large puff of smoke, tossing her cigarette into the alleyway below.

"I always do." The figure in the shadows said in her usual, low, but gentle tone; she had a prominent proper Canterlot accent. "You want to talk about those two members of the Equestrian Knights that visited you this evening, don't you?"

"Yes and no..." Commissioner August. "They're here to hunt you down, right? Blueblood's orders..."

"I know." The Raven nodded. "And I can handle them. You need to worry about yourself tonight. The Kage Mob is mobilizing, and I've yet to find out where they're hiding."

"These aren't regular ponies you can just beat up," Commissioner August interjected, strongly opposed to the headstrong nature of The Raven. "They're the ponies who took out that whole terrorist group in Canterlot." Commissioner August growled under her breath in frustration. "I don't know why the hell I'm helping you. You're a vigilante, I should arrest you right now."

"Then go ahead. I won't stop you," The Raven said bluntly, hopping off the AC unit. "I trust you, June. You're the only officer on the street who understands the situation out there. You do what you think is right."

"You're a piece of work, you know that?" Commissioner August shook her head, letting out an exhausted sigh. "Why do all this? You're just one mare."

"So are you, Commissioner, and ponies still put their faith in you," The Raven said softly as she stared up at the moon high in the sky. "I am a mere messenger, Commissioner, and I must make my message clear to the ponies of Manehattan, and any who spawn chaos in this city. Criminals need something to fear."

"Yeah, well, you be careful, alright?" Commissioner August said as she looked down into the alleyway. "Don't be thinking this legend you created is invincible just because you got a bulletproof suit-..." As August turned around, she trailed off; The Raven was gone. "Nice talking with you too..."

Author's Note

Ooooo spooky...

As always, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next exciting episode of Equestrian Knights!